9 replies to this topic

[BasilBoy27]

Ok, I'm kind of new to Guinea pigs and want to get a male pair in the next year to two years. I have a few starter questions though.

 

1. Is wheeking/squeaking that loud or can it be managed by closing a door?{i say this because my mom is across the hall from me and she doesn't like loud noises or animals that much} 

 

2. How long does wheeking last until it stops?{I won't be able to own them if they make this noise for long periods, but from my research they don't but I'm not sure}

 

3. Will my sleep be disturbed or will my piggies be sleep when I'm sleep?{I have a hamster, so it doesn't make a whole difference, but just asking will my sleep hours be decreasing}

 

4. Can they see with the light off or do they need lots of sunlight/a night light?

 

5. Is a pair of males a good pair for a first time owner of Guinea pigs?

 

6. Are vet bills very high on average?

 

Thanks in advance for all your responses!

[Remy]

Ok, I'm kind of new to Guinea pigs and want to get a male pair in the next year to two years. I have a few starter questions though.
 
1. Is wheeking/squeaking that loud or can it be managed by closing a door?{i say this because my mom is across the hall from me and she doesn't like loud noises or animals that much} 
They can be very loud when they want to be. I can definitely hear them through a door, but I’m not sure about across the hall.
 
2. How long does wheeking last until it stops?{I won't be able to own them if they make this noise for long periods, but from my research they don't but I'm not sure}
It depends. My guinea pigs really only wheek when they hear my footsteps or a bag rustling, and stop once I give them a treat, more hay, or some veggies.

3. Will my sleep be disturbed or will my piggies be sleep when I'm sleep?{I have a hamster, so it doesn't make a whole difference, but just asking will my sleep hours be decreasing}
They take short naps throughout the day and night, so they’ll likely be awake for the majority of the time you’re sleeping.

 
4. Can they see with the light off or do they need lots of sunlight/a night light?
I always shut the light off at night and they’re fine. I wouldn’t leave them in a dark room all day though, if that’s what you’re asking.
 
5. Is a pair of males a good pair for a first time owner of Guinea pigs?
I don’t have much experience myself with males, but they generally need larger cages and are more prone to fighting than females.
 
6. Are vet bills very high on average?
It depends on your area and the specific vet you go to. In my experience, the prices are pretty comparable to other exotics.
 
Thanks in advance for all your responses!

[BasilBoy27]

 

Ok, I'm kind of new to Guinea pigs and want to get a male pair in the next year to two years. I have a few starter questions though.
 
1. Is wheeking/squeaking that loud or can it be managed by closing a door?{i say this because my mom is across the hall from me and she doesn't like loud noises or animals that much} 
They can be very loud when they want to be. I can definitely hear them through a door, but I’m not sure about across the hall.
 
2. How long does wheeking last until it stops?{I won't be able to own them if they make this noise for long periods, but from my research they don't but I'm not sure}
It depends. My guinea pigs really only wheek when they hear my footsteps or a bag rustling, and stop once I give them a treat, more hay, or some veggies.

3. Will my sleep be disturbed or will my piggies be sleep when I'm sleep?{I have a hamster, so it doesn't make a whole difference, but just asking will my sleep hours be decreasing}
They take short naps throughout the day and night, so they’ll likely be awake for the majority of the time you’re sleeping.

 
4. Can they see with the light off or do they need lots of sunlight/a night light?
I always shut the light off at night and they’re fine. I wouldn’t leave them in a dark room all day though, if that’s what you’re asking.
 
5. Is a pair of males a good pair for a first time owner of Guinea pigs?
I don’t have much experience myself with males, but they generally need larger cages and are more prone to fighting than females.
 
6. Are vet bills very high on average?
It depends on your area and the specific vet you go to. In my experience, the prices are pretty comparable to other exotics.
 
Thanks in advance for all your responses!

 

Will they be a ruckus though when I'm sleeping or will they be more on the quiet side?

[Remy]

Will they be a ruckus though when I'm sleeping or will they be more on the quiet side?

I don’t sleep in the same room as my guinea pigs so I’m not sure, sorry.

[BasilBoy27]

I don’t sleep in the same room as my guinea pigs so I’m not sure, sorry.

Oh ok Thanks!

[MaizyDubois]

Ok, I'm kind of new to Guinea pigs and want to get a male pair in the next year to two years. I have a few starter questions though.
 
1. Is wheeking/squeaking that loud or can it be managed by closing a door?{i say this because my mom is across the hall from me and she doesn't like loud noises or animals that much} 
 
2. How long does wheeking last until it stops?{I won't be able to own them if they make this noise for long periods, but from my research they don't but I'm not sure}
 
3. Will my sleep be disturbed or will my piggies be sleep when I'm sleep?{I have a hamster, so it doesn't make a whole difference, but just asking will my sleep hours be decreasing}
 
4. Can they see with the light off or do they need lots of sunlight/a night light?
 
5. Is a pair of males a good pair for a first time owner of Guinea pigs?
 
6. Are vet bills very high on average?
 
Thanks in advance for all your responses!

1. We’ve had guinea pigs for a very long time and in my experience guinea pig squeeking is not stopped by a door😅

2. Our guinea pigs only squeeked when you came into the room and opened the fridge. It then took about a minute before realising they weren’t getting anything before they stopped and if they did get something they also stopped.

3. Guinea pigs are awake both during the day and during the night, but they don’t make too much of noise. I personally prefer then outside in a rabbit cage with big play pen though.

4. They prefer a normal light cycle, so no artificial lighting is needed.

5. If you choose one calmer boar and one boar that is a bit stronger there shouldn’t be any problem. If you have two strong boars it could result in fighting, but I think it should be fine. (A bit of fighting is okay, as they are figuring out who the leader is. This includes nipping at ears and pulling hairs, just as long as this doesn’t keep happening and blood doesn’t appear it’s fine.)

6. Seeing as a guinea pig is an exotic pet it will cost more (in comparison) than a dog or cat. Please let your guinea pig be checked though as they are prone to tumors (nor explicitly cancer tumors though).

I hope this helps you a bit. In my opinion guinea pigs are some of the nicest small pets to have, as they are awake during the day, are not too hard to tame and are very sweet. They do need a lot of space. The minimal cage size for two boars or three sows is 150x60 if I’m not mistaken.

[Robin~]

To add to what’s been said, I would definitely contact the rescue you go to and see how they paired the males you’re interested in (side note: I’d definitely recommend a pre-bonded pair for starters). If they took the time to look for character compatibility there’s a higher chance they’ll get along better in the long run. If you adopt a more elderly or neutered pair that could also help since their teenage hormonal-ness would be already past/gone.

A 5x2 C&C cage is the recommended minimum (70x28”), but more is always great. Ofc you could go for less length if you wanted too.

[TurboHamster]

Will they be a ruckus though when I'm sleeping or will they be more on the quiet side?

I have slept in my guinea pig room to experiment this, and I have found that they are very quiet in general during the night. The only sounds they made were from when they had occasional bursts of energy and just felt like running across the cage, but sleeping in with them was generally peaceful. 

 

I have two boars (males). 

[TurboHamster]

Ok, I'm kind of new to Guinea pigs and want to get a male pair in the next year to two years. I have a few starter questions though.

 

1. Is wheeking/squeaking that loud or can it be managed by closing a door?{i say this because my mom is across the hall from me and she doesn't like loud noises or animals that much} Sometimes if my guinea pigs get real excited, I can hear their wheeking through the glass door that separates the kitchen and their room, but this is only during meal time when they hear me cutting carrots/cucumbers. So no, I don't think they'll disturb your mom. 

 

2. How long does wheeking last until it stops?{I won't be able to own them if they make this noise for long periods, but from my research they don't but I'm not sure}

Only as long as they hear kitchen/veggie chopping noises. (It doesn't last long) My mom always says their like my orchestra singers when its meal time.

 

3. Will my sleep be disturbed or will my piggies be sleep when I'm sleep?{I have a hamster, so it doesn't make a whole difference, but just asking will my sleep hours be decreasing}

Not in my experience, they are quite quiet in the night and I was able to sleep peacefully in their room before. 

 

4. Can they see with the light off or do they need lots of sunlight/a night light?

Just keep the blinds/window open during the day, and close them when you go to the sleep, (unless you live in an unusually hot area like me: then you would want to keep those blinds open for only a few hours to prevent the room from getting too hot)  they will be perfectly fine. 

 

5. Is a pair of males a good pair for a first time owner of Guinea pigs?

My two boars and the first piggies I ever owned, and I absolutely love them. As long as they are already bonded, they should be just fine. However, keep in mind a already bonded boar pair may be harder to find in shelters than a group of females in my experience. 

 

6. Are vet bills very high on average?

I'm not sure, as I haven't taken my piggies to the vet yet. 

 

Thanks in advance for all your responses!

Welcome! Hope I could help!

[em~]

 

I sadly don't own piggies myself, but my friend says that they are quiet most of the night, but they are loud around 1-3am